EIPA strengthens ties with Serbia: Signing of new Memorandum of Understanding

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EIPA Luxembourg and the Serbian National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA) has this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in fields of mutual interest to the parties.In particular, the cooperation will focus on

the exchange of good practices and solutions relating to the improvement of operations and professional capacities in public administration;

the exchange of good training practices and publications as well as development of new training programmes and methodologies;

the implementation of joint training activities and conferences.

NAPA was established in 2017 by the Serbian Government as the central institution for professional development in the country’s public administration. On 15 January 2020, NAPA celebrated the opening of its new facilities in Belgrade with a keynote speech by Serbia’s Prime Minister, Ms Anna Brnabić. Although not a part of the main programme, the MoU between NAPA and EIPA Luxembourg was signed during this celebratory event by the Director of NAPA, Mr Dražen Maravić, and the Director of EIPA Luxembourg, Mr Peter Goldschmidt.

Through the years, EIPA has implemented numerous projects and activities with Serbia. Since 2006, EIPA Luxembourg has delivered between four and six training activities annually in the country to civil servants and members of the judiciary in response to needs identified by the Ministry of European Integration and the Serbian Judicial Academy. These activities have been supported by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs since the beginning, which has also encouraged and supported the now signed MoU between NAPA and EIPA Luxembourg.

‘I welcome the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding’, commented EIPA’s Director General Marco Ongaro, ‘it is an important first step in a process to further strengthen relations with both NAPA and the Republic of Serbia, and it reflects how EIPA supports the European integration process.’

Above all, the new MoU is another example of how EIPA contributes to the achievement of national priorities and objectives of the EU Member States.

For other examples of cooperations and projects take a look at our Annual Reports of the last few years.